Railway-track construction.



J. W. STBPHENSON.

RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1913. T Patented De0.22,1914.

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J. W. STEPHENSON.

RAILWAY TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1913.

Patented Dec..22, 1914.

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TOHN`W. STEPHENSQN, OF TOLEID, OHIO, ASSIGNUR TU THE NATIONAL ll/ALLABLE y CASTNGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO. Y

RAILWAY-TRACK CONSTRUCTION.

meshes.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Der). 22, 1914i.

Application filed .Tune 28, 1913. Serial No. 776,353.

Figure 1 is a plan of my Iimproved con-y struction; Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof, showing the rails in section; Fig. 3 is a section on lines lill-lll of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but with the parts in slightly different position; Fig. 5 is a section on lines V-V of Fig. Llyand Fig.y

6 is a detail of one of the wedges.

My invention relates to improvements 1n railway track construction and is designed to provide a construction by which guard rails may be adjusted with reference to the main rails, to compensate for wear on the heads of the rails, with the result that thev gage of the rails in maintained with a minimum of labor and with little cost, and there is as well provided an efficient and serviceable device. y

My invention is also designed to remove the necessity ofunspiking the guard rail after it has become worn to such an extent that the rails are out of gage, and consists in providing means for holding and adjusting the rails without the use of spikes engaging both the rails and the Jties. j

Referringto the drawings, A indicates the main rail, B the guard rail and C the fastener plate. Cn the opposite sides of the fastener plate C are'undercutprojections 2 and 3, and intermediate of these projections are longitudinally extendingy abutments ll, which have lips 5 designed to overlie a base flange 6 of the main rail A. The main rail is secured in the fastener plate between the abutments i and the projection 2 by the wedge 7 which, on one side, engages the head 8 of the rail and its base flange 9 and on the other side the under cut face 10 of the projection 2. The wedge 7 is secured by the bendable key 11, which is driven through a slot 12 in the under side of the wedge 7 and into a curvedlreyway 13, preferably made integral with the fastener plate C and which locks the wedge in position by means of its head 14, which bears against the rear side of the wedge 7.

The base flange 15 of the guard rail B, adjacent the main rail A, is cut away in the customary manner to permit it to be brought sufficiently near the main rail A. Between the two rails are wedges 16 and 17. The wedge 16 bears against the rail head 8 and the flange 6 of rthe main rail and has a depending projection 18 taking between the abutments 4: and thereby holding the member 16 against longitudinal movement. IThe member 17 bears in a corresponding way against the adjacent faces of the guard rail and has a depending stop 19, which is adapted to engage with the projection 18 on the wedge 16 and thereby prevents the wedge 17 from being driven completely out of position.

For securing the wedge members 16 and 17 together, the member 16. has a curved guide-way 20 therein for reception of a bendable key 21, the head 22` of which bears against the rear side of the member 17 and holds it in the desired position between the rails. The wedge 17 has a driving lug 23,`

by which it is adapted'to be driven out of wedging engagement with the wedge 16 and the guard rail B. The guard railB is secured in position by means of the wedge 21,1-, which is adapted to bev driven into the guide-way between the rails and the under cutface 25 of the projection 3, andy to be securedv therein by the bendable key 26. The key 26 is driven through a slot 27 in the under side of the wedge 24E and into acurved keyway 28, preferably made integral with the plate C, and locks the wedge 211 in position by means of its head 29, which bears against the rear side of the wedge 2d.

The device may be assembledv as follows: The main rail A is placed in position on the plate C, with the base flange 6 bearing against the abutment 4e and under the lips 5 thereon. The rail brace or wedge 7 I is then entered between the outer face of the rail and the under cut surface 10 of the projection 2 and is driven home vto wedge the and base flange 6 of the main rail and its projection 18 interlocking with the abutments 4, and with the wedge 17 lying between the wedge 16 and the head and base fiange 15 of the guard rail BQ The guard rail B, which has been inserted into and rests upon the plate is then moved laterally toward the main rail A, until its head is the required distance from the head of the main rail A. Vith the guard rail B in proper position relative to the main rail A, the wedge 17 may be moved by hand to a position in which it, withthe wedge 16, will just fill up the space between the rails. The brace member 24 is next entered between the outer face of the guard rail B and the under cut face 25 of the projection 3, and is driven homel to force the guard rail tightly over against the wedge 17, after which the brace 24 is locked in position by the bendable key 26. The wedge 17 is then driven tightly in between the wedge 16 and the guard rail B, andis locked in position by the bendable key 21, the head 22 of which bears against the rear surface of the wedge 17 and prevents it from jarring loose. In case either the main rail or the guard rail wears or both of them wear, adjustment may be made as follows, to compensate for wear: The wedge 17 is driven back by striking on the lug 23, and carries with it the locking key 21. When .the wedge 17 has been driven out to the desired extent, the guard rail, which is now free to move toward the main rail, 1s

moved in Vthat direction asuiiicient distance to compensate for the wear which has taken place. The wedge 17 is moved back until it again fills the space between the wedge 16 and the 'guard rail, and then the brace 24 is driven farther in between the guard rail and the projection 3 to hold the guard rail in its new position, and is again locked therein by further drivingof the key 26. Finally the wedge 17 is driven tightly into its new position and is locked therein by the rey 21. The lug 19 on the wedge 17 is pro- 'vided so that when the wedge is loosened the lug 19" will come into contact with the projection 18 on the wedge 16, which thereby prevents the wedge 17 from being driven too far back and the key 21 from lbeing driven out of its lslot 20.

Various modiiications may be made in the manner .of securing in position the adjusting meansand in the construction and operation of th-e other parts of the device without departing from my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In'railway track construction, a fastener plate for a plurality of rails, wedge members adapted for insertion between the rails, and bendable locking means for securing the wedges in position.

2. In railway track construction, a fastener plate adapted to support a plurality of rails, wedge members adapted to be inserted between the rails and to support the heads of the rails, the said wedge members being movable longitudinally relatively to each other, and bendable locking means for securing the wedges in position between the rails.

3. 1n railway track construction, supporting means for a plurality oi rails, mechanism for adjusting the rails laterally relatively to each other to maintain the gage, and bendable locking means for securing the adjusting mechanism in position between the rails.

4. In railway track construction, supporting devices for a plurality of rails, wedge members between and engaging the rails, one of said wedge members being secured against longitudinal movement and the other of said wedge members being adapted to have a limited longitudinal movement, and means for securing the wedge members together against longitudinal movement.

5. In railway track construction, a tastener plate adapted to support a plurality of rails, mechanism for adjusting the rails laterally of the plate relative to each other, the said mechanism comprising a pair of wedges, one of said wedges having a recess and projection engagement with the fastener plate, and the other of said wedges having a stop adapted to engage a portion of the first-mentioned wedge.

6. In railway track construction, a fastener plate for a plurality of rails, an abutment on the plate adapted to bear against a iange of one of the rails, rail engaging members adapted to support the rails on their outer sides and to be secured to the plate by bendable locking means, and wedging means bearing on the inner faces of the rails for spacing the rails apart.

7. In railway track construction, a fastener plate for a plurality of rails, rail-engaging members. adapted to support the rails on their outer sides and to be secured to the plate by bendable locking means, and wedging means having bearings against the inner faces of the rails.

JOHN 1V. STEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

HARRY J. WARD, CHARLES W. Ennnn'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' Washington, D. C. 

